LGBT Center expands services with DV/IPV survivor hotline
In April, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan began tapping into a vast citywide network of support services through the introduction of a new domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) survivor assistance hotline. This LGBTQ+-affirming survivor hotline adds to the Center’s existing Survivor Assistance Program, a completely free suite … Read More
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In April, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan began tapping into a vast citywide network of support services through the introduction of a new domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) survivor assistance hotline.
This LGBTQ+-affirming survivor hotline adds to the Center’s existing Survivor Assistance Program, a completely free suite of services that includes case management, legal referrals, housing assistance, and other essential resources all under one roof.
Gay City News spoke with The Center's vice president of programs, Natasha Jones, and the director of adult services, Johan Lopez, about how the Survivor Assistance Program, which houses the Survivor Assistance Hotline, aims to lower barriers to help for survivors fearing discrimination from law enforcement agencies.
Since 2019, The Center has provided support to survivors of any kind of crime across the state. Earlier this year, according to Lopez, The Center had an opportunity to formalize a partnership with New York City’s Human Resources Administration, allowing The Center to operate a live hotline from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Around this time, Lopez said that The Center also brought in a specialized IPV/DV survivor assistance team that is trained to provide trauma-informed support.
The hotline is not yet 24 hours. After 6 p.m., The Center’s information and referral services team is available to provide quick services to callers or refer them back to the survivor assistance team the following day. From 10 p.m. until 8 a.m., callers can leave voice messages for the team to answer by the next day.
“The beauty of this is that we … are part of a larger network of services across New York City and The Center is adding to those services,” Jones added. “And so we partner with other orgs that do have 24-hour crisis hotlines.”
Lopez specified that anyone, regardless of gender identity or sexuality, can use the hotline.
“Really, the hotline … is just an entry point,” Lopez said. “The goal is not just to answer the call, but to create a pathway into support.
“Someone may initially call because they're experiencing violence, but what they might need includes safety planning, short-term and long-term counseling, housing assistance, benefits navigation or simply help trying to figure it all out, and we can help them connect the pieces.”
Many of these services are available for survivors to access on site and on a walk-in basis, particularly The Center’s long-term mental health clinic, which launched last year.
“It’s just one less barrier, right, for our community to be able to access services in a safe and affirming environment,” Jones said. “Community-based organizations like The Center provide that first step to navigating something extremely vulnerable and frightening for our members.”
The Center’s Survivor Assistance hotline can be accessed via (212) 620-7310.
